


Nothing to Tell

by dandelionfairies



Series: End of the Day [4]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Angst, Both boys won't listen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 19:59:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dandelionfairies/pseuds/dandelionfairies
Summary: Three months after Harry ended things, they're reunited...but are they?





	Nothing to Tell

It isn’t supposed to be like this.  They’ve been friends for years. For the longest time it’s been Harry, Louis, Liam, and Niall.  But now…? Louis has barely seen Harry in the last three months. Three months since the day Harry told him to leave.  Three months since the day Harry told him they were done.

 

“I’m going to go shower.  Please be gone when I come out.”

 

Louis closes his eyes as the words ring through his head again.  When he walked out that morning, he never actually thought it would be like this.  He thought once Harry had cooled down that they would go back to the way things had always been.  They’d seen each other when they’d go out with Niall and Liam, but Harry tended to avoid him after the initial greetings.

 

After three months, Louis needed more.  Harry hasn’t explained anything about that day.  How is Louis supposed to fix anything if Harry won’t talk to him?  If he has to lock Harry in a closet, Louis needs to talk to the man.

 

* * *

  
  
Louis had promised each of his sisters that he would bring them out for their first drink when they turned eighteen.  He kept his promise with Lottie a couple years ago. Now it’s his turn with Fizzy. He smiles at his sisters as they walk into Liam’s pub.

 

“Ready?” he asks.  

 

“Yes.”  Fizzy smiles at him.  “Thank you for doing this.”

 

“Of course.”  They stop when they reach the bar.

 

“The Tomlinson’s have made it!” Niall exclaims from his spot behind the bar.

 

Louis chuckles.  “We did.” He gestures for his sisters to order whatever they want.  “Lottie, it’s like when I brought you.”

 

“Not exactly,” Lottie mutters.

 

He frowns at that.  “What do you mean?”

 

“Nothing.  Forget it.”

 

Louis sighs when it hits him as to what she’s talking about.  When he brought Lottie, Harry had joined them. He knows that Lottie and Fizzy expected Harry to come tonight as well.  Of course, they weren’t aware of the fact that Louis and Harry aren’t on speaking terms. “Lottie…”

 

“Room for one more?”

 

Louis spins around, stunned to see Harry standing there.  He jumps a little at Fizzy’s squeal and watches his sister launch herself into Harry’s arms.

 

“Happy birthday, Fiz,” Harry says.

 

“Thank you!”  Fizzy jumps in place.  “We were just ordering drinks.  You have to join us.”

 

“Of course.”  Harry steps over, giving Lottie a quick hug before taking a seat beside Louis.

 

Louis can’t seem to take his eyes off Harry.  He came. He’s here. How’d he know? Louis doesn’t really need to ask that question.  Harry knows when Fizzy’s birthday is. He’s also sure that Fizzy’s been hinting at this since her last birthday.  Besides that, Lottie made it pretty clear that Harry needs to be a part of their tradition.

 

After their first drink is finished, the girls decide they want to head out onto the dance floor.  That leaves Harry and Louis sitting at the bar together. It’s been far too long, at least for Louis, since they’ve been alone like this.  Louis takes a sip of his drink as he looks at the other man. He should say something. But what? After everything that they’ve been through, it shouldn’t be this awkward.

 

“How’s the new job going?” Louis finally asks.  “Where are you at again?

 

Harry looks over.  “It’s good,” he answers.  “I’m at the history museum.  Actually training to start doing some tours.”

 

“That’s great.  You liking it?”

 

“Yeah, it’s been fun.  I’ve learned a lot about it all.  Honestly, thought about going back to uni to do some history classes to learn even more.”

 

Louis smiles.  “That’s great, Harry.”

 

Harry takes a sip of his drink.  “How’ve you been?”

 

Louis lets out a soft sigh and shrugs.  How has he been? There are two different answers he can give.  He can simply tell Harry that he’s been fine, just like he has with everyone else.  However, Harry knows him. He’ll be able to see right through him. But how is he supposed to admit how he really feels?

 

“Lou…”

 

“I could tell you what I’ve told everyone else,” Louis finally says.

 

“But?”  Harry watches him.

 

“You know me.  You’d see right through the answer.   
  


 

“Then tell me the truth.”

 

Louis laughs softly.  “Can we go find somewhere else to sit?”  He’s waiting for Harry to tell him no, so when the man nods he’s surprised.  He gestures to Liam for a couple more drinks.

 

Harry slides into the booth away from everything, watching as Louis slips in on the other side.  The last time they were in this booth it was definitely a different scenario. There’s tension in the air tonight, unlike last time.

 

“Louis…”

 

“I’m miserable, Harry.  I lost my best friend because…”  He shakes his head. “I don’t even know.  You never explained anything to me. You decided for me to end everything.  You decided that we shouldn’t see each other outside of hanging out with Liam and Niall.  Even then you avoided me.”

 

“Louis, it wasn’t…”  Harry runs a hand through his hair.

 

“Why, Harry?  I know I was a twat that day.  I should have reached out to you, but you are the one who ended it.”

 

“I needed you that day, Louis.  And I don’t know if you even realize how much.”

 

“So you just ended it all then?”

 

“I had to.”  Harry spins the ring on his middle finger, the ring that Louis had gotten him for his twenty-second birthday.  He closes his eyes at the thought. That’s the night it all started.

 

“Why?  Why did you have to?”  Louis frowns as he continues to watch Harry.  “I can’t fix this if you don’t talk to me.”

 

Harry lifts his gaze to look at Louis.  If he actually tells him the truth, it could ruin everything.  He knows how Louis feels about it all. He just doesn’t know how much longer he can push the feelings aside.  Of course, they haven’t been together in months. Maybe that’s what they need. Maybe they need to go back to what they were before they started sleeping together.

 

“Harry…”

 

“Things need to change, Lou.”

 

“Meaning what?  I’ve barely seen you in the last three months.  What else has to change?”

 

Harry licks his lips nervously.  “Us. This. All of it.” He shakes his head.  “I want my best friend back.”

 

“I want that too, Haz.”

 

“It has to change though.  We can’t…” He looks down again.  “It needs to be different.”

 

“Different how?”

 

* * *

 

 

Harry doesn’t have a chance to answer because Fizzy and Lottie are dancing over, pulling at them.  He frowns a little but lets Fizzy pull him out of the seat and onto the dance floor. He glances back to see that Louis is following behind as Lottie pulls at his arm.  He wishes that they could have continued to talk. It’s the most they’ve said to each other in months.

 

“Harry,” Fizzy says pushing at the man.

 

“What?” Harry asks frowning at the girl.  “I’m dancing.”

 

“I don’t care.  I want to know what’s going on with you.”  Fizzy smiles at him when he throws a look over toward Louis.  “He won’t save you. Lottie’s on him right now.”

 

Harry wrinkles his nose.  “Fiz…”

 

“No, you don’t get to back out of this.”  Fizzy fists her hands in his shirt as they continue to dance.  “Talk to me. This is the first time we’ve seen you in months. You and Louis…”

 

“What do you know?” Harry interrupts. 

 

“I know that there had been something more going on between you and my brother.  Yeah, I know he’s your best friend. But something changed.”

 

Harry can feel his heart racing when Fizzy says that.  “What do you mean?”

 

“Come off it, Hazza.  I’m not a little girl anymore.  Even before it actually started, I could see it.”

 

“See what?  I don’t know what…”

 

“Harry, please stop lying to me.”

 

“I’m not.”  Harry sighs heavily.  “What exactly do you know?”

 

“I know you two were sleeping together.”  She giggles when Harry blushes. “I also know that you haven’t really seen each other in months.  Why? What happened?”

 

Harry smiles sadly.  “It ended. It needed to.  It got to be too much.”

 

“Meaning feelings became involved?”

 

“Fiz…”

 

“You fell in love with him.”

 

It’s not a question, but Harry finds it necessary to nod.  He looks down, unable to meet the gaze of his best friend’s little sister.  Best friend. Can he even call Louis that anymore?

 

“You need to tell him.”

 

“I can’t.  He made it very clear what he wanted.”

 

“Then maybe you don’t know my brother as well as you thought.”  

 

“I know your brother very well.  More than you want to know about.”

 

“That’s all from me.  Switch.” 

 

Harry stumbles when Fizzy pushes him away from her.  Before he can question her, he has an arm full of the other of the two sisters.  “More from you?” he asks.

 

* * *

  
  
Louis throws a look over to where Harry is dancing with Fizzy.  If he didn’t know Harry, he would become the protective big brother with the way they’re dancing.  However, he does know Harry and knows that there’s nothing to worry about. He looks back at Lottie.

 

“What’s going on with you two?” Lottie asks.

 

“Nothing,” Louis answers.

 

“You’re full of it, yeah?  Let’s just say I know a little more than what you think I do.”

 

“How much more?”

 

“Just assume I know everything.”

 

“Lot…”

 

“You’re fucking your best friend.”

 

Louis’ eyes widen at Lottie’s admission.  “How… no… how long have you known?”

 

“Since it first happened.  You don’t think I saw the look between the two of you that night?”

 

“It’s not what you think, Lottie.”

 

“You don’t know what I’m thinking.”  Lottie links her fingers through her brothers so he won’t be able to get away from her easily.

 

“What do you think then?”

 

“I think it started out as a one-time thing.  You had just been through a breakup and were lonely.  It’s obvious that Harry would do anything to make you happy.  That night it was something you both needed.”

 

Louis nods slowly.  “I guess you could say that.  It wasn’t planned.”

 

“I know that.  I also know it wasn’t planned to continue for the next two years.”  Lottie smiles at her brother’s blush. “It changed a few months ago.”

 

“No, he changed a few months ago.”

 

“Because you’re a bloody idiot.”

 

“What?”  Louis frowns at Lottie.  “What are you talking about?”

 

“Did either of you see anyone else in the last two years?”

 

Louis shakes his head.  “No.”

 

“And yet you told him you didn’t want to be exclusive.  You weren’t looking for a relationship.”

 

“Lottie…”

 

“You don’t see it, do you?”  She smiles at him. “Time to switch.”

 

Louis sighs as Lottie pushes him back.  He’s not surprised when Fizzy is now in his arms.  “You two planned this,” he says.

 

“No,” Fizzy says sarcastically.  “Never.”

 

“Felicite.”

 

“Would you like to know what I just found out from Harry?”

 

“I really don’t think…”

 

“He fell in love with you.”

 

Louis stops his movements when he hears what Fizzy says.  “Are you daft?”

 

* * *

  
  
Harry lifts his and Lottie’s intertwined hands as the dance to whatever song is currently playing.  “You two set this up,” he says.

 

“Obviously,” Lottie says with a smile.  “We knew you two wouldn’t do anything.”

 

“So what do you know?”

 

“I know that the first time you slept with my brother was the night of your twenty-second birthday.”

 

Harry pales at that.  “Oh. But…”

 

“I saw you two that night, Harry.  It doesn’t take much to know what happened.”  She giggles when Harry pales even more. “Will you relax?”

 

“Lottie, what’s going on?  I know what Fizzy…”

 

“You’re in love with Louis.”

 

“Does the entire Tomlinson family know?” Harry grumbles.

 

“The one who should doesn’t.”  Lottie gestures over to Louis. 

 

“He can’t know.”

 

Lottie raises an eyebrow.  “Why? And don’t lie to me, Harry Styles.”

 

Harry sighs as he throws a look over toward Louis.  “Do I really have to answer?”

 

“If you don’t, I’m going to kiss you.”

 

“Oh God.”  Harry shudders at the thought.  He looks down at Lottie. “You’ve figured everything else out, you can figure this one out, yeah?”

 

“I’ve already figured it out.  I just want to hear it from you.”  She lifts onto her tiptoes. “Harry…”

 

“Okay, just back off.”  He sighs again. “He doesn’t want me.”

 

“You’re both idiots.  Spin and switch.”

 

Harry stumbles as Lottie spins him and shoves him forward.  Instead of falling, however, he ends up in the arms of Louis.

 

“Louis…”

 

“Is it true?” Louis asks.

 

“Is what true?”

 

“You’re in love…”

 

Harry doesn’t Louis finish before he’s pushing away from the man and storming out of the club.  He can’t hear Louis says. He can’t hear Louis reject him. He finds himself in the alley beside the club, trying to catch his breath.  Leaning against the building, he covers his face. Louis wasn’t ever supposed to find out. He knew it was going to happen tonight with the way Lottie and Fizzy were going on with them.  But he’d seen the look on Louis’ face when he questioned him. Harry slides down to the ground, wrapping his arms around the back of his head. 

 

It finally happened.  Sure, they haven’t been close in the last few months.  Tonight was the last call, though. He just lost his best friend for good.

 

“Harry…”  

 

Harry scrambles to his feet, backing away from the man approaching him.  “I get it, Lou.” He shakes his head. “You don’t have to worry. Just forget everything that’s happened tonight.”  He turns and quickly walks away.

 

* * *

  
  
Louis shoves his hands into his front pockets after knocking on Niall and Liam’s door.  He couldn’t deal with going home and he wasn’t in the mood for Lottie and Fizzy’s questions.  He looks up when the door finally opens, frowning when Niall drops his head forward.

 

“Fuck,” Niall mutters.

 

Louis’ frown deepens, realizing that Harry must be here.  “Oh.” He shrugs. “I’ll just…” He doesn’t have a chance to finish before Niall is grabbing his arm and pulling him inside.  “Niall…”

 

“Just follow me.”

 

Louis wrinkles his nose but follows Niall without another word.  He takes a shaky breath when he sees Harry sitting on the couch with Liam.  

 

“Sit down,” Niall growls when Harry starts to stand up.  “Liam, let’s go. You two are going to talk and figure this thing out.  I can’t take it anymore. You’re both miserable and that’s making us miserable.  So talk.”

 

Louis licks his lips nervously as Niall and Liam walk out of the room.  He turns his attention toward Harry, who is now staring down at his hands.  “Harry…”

 

“Don’t,” Harry says softly.  “I don’t need to hear it. I don’t need to hear you tell me that I’m stupid.  I know I am. Okay? I just…” He shrugs. “I didn’t mean to, okay? I knew what it was when we first started.  I let myself…”

 

“So it’s true?”  He takes a step toward the couch.

 

“No.”  Harry flinches when the word is out of his mouth.  It’s an obvious lie and he knows Louis will see right through him.

 

“No?”  Louis nods.  “Now look at me and tell me that.”

 

Harry looks up at Louis.  “It’s not true.”

 

Louis lets out a soft sigh but nods.  “My sisters…”

 

“They see what they want to see.”

 

“You ran away back there, Harry.”

 

“I panicked.”  Harry looks down again.  Why can’t he just tell Louis?  

 

“Fine.  Then I guess there’s nothing else to discuss.”  Louis turns to walk out of the room but stops just as quickly.  “No, I take that back. We do have something to discuss.” He turns back around and stares at Harry.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“There’s nothing…”

 

“Bloody hell, Harry.  Just tell me the truth.”  Louis watches Harry look away once again.  “Harry…”

 

“I couldn’t, okay?”  Harry sighs, wiping his eyes.  “You made it very clear what this was.  You didn’t want anything more. I get it, Lou.”  He finally looks up to look at Louis once again. “You didn’t want any kind of relationship and I let myself fall.”

 

“And you thought because of that you couldn’t talk to me?  We’ve been best friends for ten years, Harry. You really thought you couldn’t talk to me?”  Louis sighs. “Maybe everything has been wrong then. We’ve gone three months without each other, I’m sure we can handle more.”  Louis stares at Harry as he waits for him to say something. “You’re really gonna just sit there?”

 

“What do ya want me to say, Lou?”

 

Louis laughs bitterly.  “You said enough right there.”  He shakes his head as he turns and storms out of the house, slamming the door behind him.  This is it. This is finally the end of their friendship.

 

“Louis,” Liam says as Louis opens the door of his car.

 

“What?”  Louis turns around.  “I’m sure you heard everything.”

 

“Not everything.”  Liam raises an eyebrow.  “Why didn’t you tell him?”

 

“Nothing to tell.”  He climbs in behind the wheel and slams the door shut.  He pulls away as quickly as he can, not bothering to look back.  He’s never going to forgive Lottie and Fizzy for this.


End file.
